Cerca:b soul

When most musicians reach a career milestone they take it on tour. Texas, whose debut album turned 30 last year, had bigger ambitions. Rather than simply perform their old songs, the Scots set out to meet their old selves – the wide-eyed kids who made Southside, their two million-selling, Top 3 debut, and the band who bounced back eight years later with the six times platinum White On Blonde.
The vaults at Universal were raided for recording sessions for both albums, stored on tape and DAT and never digitised. Top of Texas’ list was their first, failed attempt at I Don’t Want A Lover, scuppered by Chic bassist Bernard Edwards.
“Just after we signed, we were in the studio with Bernard and Chic’s drummer Tony Thompson,” recalls guitarist Johnny McElhone. “Bernard got coked up and ended up running away to Mexico before Sharleen even started her vocals. But that’s a whole other story.”
Late in 2018, the aborted version was found, alongside several songs recorded during different sessions which didn’t make their debut. The biggest revelation, however, was a 15-strong batch of tracks from the White On Blonde sessions which both Johnny and Sharleen Spiteri had forgotten existed.
“When we made that album, no one in Britain gave a shit about Texas,” says Sharleen. “We were still doing really well in Europe, but here we couldn’t get arrested.
“No one at our label was asking to hear any music or pushing us, so we just kept writing and recording and trying out new stuff until we felt the record was ready. Hence we ended up with a lot more material than usual.”
So good were the songs that Texas initially planned to release them as a ‘lost’ album, possibly to be called Blonde On White. But working with their old recordings inspired them to start writing new songs.
“Tweaking the old stuff was so much fun,” says Sharleen. “It felt like us, now, collaborating with ourselves of 25 years ago. It was amazing to go back there – my voice was so young! – and to hear how much energy and passion we had. We were fighting for our careers at the time, trying to prove that Texas were still relevant.
“Our excitement at finding this treasure trove of songs collided with our excitement from back then and, unplanned, new songs started coming. You could say we were inspired by ourselves, if that didn’t make us sound insanely big-headed.”
Hi, Texas’ tenth album, is the result of that bonkers journey back but has its eyes firmly fixed on the future. The title track and sensational first single aptly fuses the two. A brand new collaboration with Wu Tang Clan, it finds a soulful Sharleen nestled next to boisterous raps from RZA and Ghostface Killah over a cinematic backdrop of lush beats and acoustic guitar.

For our 7th release we are delighted to be reissuing a single that has brought us a lot of joy in recent times. We first came to hear Delores Fuller’s beautiful single One More Chance Lord in the same way we have heard a lot of new music over the last year and a half – through a friend’s lockdown recommendation. Ever since, the single has been a staple in our collection and permanently on our turntable.Perfectly transcending the genres of gospel, modern soul and disco. One More Chance Lord kicks it off with a piano riff that’ll be stuck in your head for days, building to a soaring chorus with lyrics that would fit any uplifting category. My Greatest Desire on the flip, is a ballad reflecting Delores’ vocal talents. Stripped back with only the piano for accompaniment. Delores singing about values of life - “not searching for riches, not hungry for fame”. Perhaps inadvertently explaining why this single has never had the prominence it so deserves.

The single was originally released in 1983 on Intro Records, a US based label predominately active throughout the 1980s. After a little diggin’ we reached out to Dwain Jones who duly licensed us the both sides and informed us that the single features a truly amazing arrange of musicians. Stanley Banks; bassist on classics albums such as George Benson’s Breezin’, Jonathan DuBose, guitarist with renowned gospel group The Clark Sisters and not to mention Pee Wee Ellis; James Browns band leader in the late 1960s who’s sax can be found peppered throughout Delores’ album God’s Love.Remastered and now available again on the teal green label of Miles Away. Limited 500 pressing and set for release on 21st May. Get one quick!

Raymond Charles Robinson was not just a legend, “the genius”, a “force of nature” and “a presence”. He was also pure energy, the source of a radiant glow that dazzled everyone who ever came near him. His passion for music, women, and rhythm, coupled with his love of life and laughter, were ingredients that made his work a monument of 20th century culture. He left essential traces – in jazz, blues, soul and R&B – because music is something inseparable and Ray lived its rhythms from the inside.

Born in poverty, raised in America’s racist South, blind at seven and an orphan at 15, Ray had all it took to be a success… Those attributes, plus a few titles in his case that he’d recorded for Swing Time, made such an impression on Ahmet Ertegun that he signed Ray to Atlantic in 1952. The next ten years forged the legend of Ray Charles. And now, six decades later, the tracks on this album are still hits hummed by all generations.

Wetzt die Äxte, Speere und Schwerter – monumentaler Black Metal ist mit STORMRULER auf dem
Vormasch! Schärft die Klingen und macht euch bereit für die Schlacht mit den US-Black-Metal- Senkrechstartern STORMRULER! Das Zwei-Mann-Projekt aus St. Louis, bestehend aus Gitarristen/Sänger Jason
Asberry und Schlagzeuger Jesse Schobel, erzeugt eine eiskalte Black-Metal-Atmosphäre, inspiriert aus
zeitgenössischem Metal und düsteren Erzählungen von Krieg, High-Fantasy und Geschichte. Auf STORMRULERs fulminantem Debütalbum Under The Burning Eclipse, welches 2021 über Napalm Records erscheint, gibt die Band genau das zum Besten: Auf 19 Tracks, erzählt das Album erschütternde Geschichten
von Krieg, Tod, Sieg und Niederlage und liefert ein unvergleichliches, höllisches Hörerlebnis, in welchem
sich bedrohliche Ambient-Parts und lodernde Black Metal-Riffs die Türklinke in die Hand geben. Under
The Burning Eclipse von STORMRULER ist ein musikalisch vollendetes Debütalbum voller fantasiehafter,
düsterer Fabeln, die Fans von extremem Metal nicht verpassen wollen!

Helsinki-based US bassist Nathan Francis steps up as a bandleader with his debut project Nathan Francis Quartet. Together with a grade-A cast of Finnish musicians, the four-piece presents some of Nathan's favorite tunes from the standard repertoire (J.Hicks, C. McBee & J. Coltrane) as well as original compositions from members of the group. As Nathan puts it, "in terms of compositions, the group acts somewhat like a collective. We play compositions of each member but with an energy and interpretation that belongs completely to the moment."

Francis' debut album features the Finnish jazz legend Eero Koivistoinen on tenor saxophone. "Eero has given immensely to the jazz scene here in Finland and abroad. He carries a sound that is so deep and intense. I feel he is the perfect fit for this band", the young bassist explains. Koivistoinen has also composed two songs for the album, the soulful opening track Minor Solution and the bluesy track entitled Late Show. Markus Niittynen plays the piano and drummer Aleksi Heinola mans the drum seat. The former has also composed the album's third track Crystal Clear and the latter is well known as the inspired leader of his own quintet.

Now settled in Helsinki, and matriculating at the Sibelius Academy, Nathan is ready to release his debut LP. Nathan's primary wish was to form a "cross generational band as a tribute to his musical ancestors", a testament to the character of this young jazz musician. In his own words, Nathan says "meeting Finnish jazz legend, Eero
Koivistoinen, sealed the deal", and this eloquent musical project came to its fruition at the studios of the Sibelius Academy.

If you collect vintage 70's soul-jazz vinyl, there is a good chance that you already own a record that features the amazing vocal talents of Dee Dee Bridgewater. Whether it be Roy Ayers, Norman Connors, Billy Parker or Carlos Garnett - Dee Dee is the glue that fuses these artists together. Although best known for her jazz work, Dee Dee has had a wonderfully rich and varied career encompassing soul, musicals, gospel, and underground disco from the 70's to the present day. She is still active as a vocalist, composer, and producer and remains one of our favourite vocalists at Mr Bongo HQ. We take things back to the early years of Dee Dee's career with her debut album 'Afro Blue'. Recorded in Tokyo in 1974, the album was released exclusively in Japan via two different Japanese labels (Trio Records in 1974 and All Art in 1985 respectively). Each release had unique cover art and we have opted to present the album in its original 1974 form.

'Afro Blue' features an exquisite collaboration of American and Japanese musicians, such as Cecil & Ron Bridgewater, Motohiko Hino and producer Takao Ishizuka. The result is a sublime deep soul-jazz masterpiece with timeless versions of 'People Make The World Go Round', 'Love From The Sun', and 'Afro Blue'. It is arguably one of the finest albums in its genre. This record has long been a sought-after item for DJs and collectors alike, so we are delighted to finally make this wonderful music from an understated great available to all.

Having already made a big splash on labels like Rush Hour, Ghostly, Spectral Sound and Werkdiscs, the London based producer Moirétees up his third full length player for Hypercolour. ‘Good Times’ goes someway to pulling back a positive energy to recent global events and finds Moirécollaborating with fellow artist Demigosh on a good chunk of the album cuts. Hazy agit house and drowsy beats anchor an album filled with smooth ambience and soulful sampling.

Low frequencies and foggy tones make tracks like ‘Magdan’ and ‘Vertigo’ strike a chord between lo-fi electronica and abstract ambient noise, whilst the collaborations with Demigosh add an ethereal soulful touch that’s both stirring and emotive in equal measures. Exotic beat science is deployed on cuts like ‘R1’ and ‘Telefunk’, whilst the jazzy licks and lumpy rhythms of ‘Lost In Pacific’ seal off an extraordinary album that exemplifies the advancing maturity of Moiré’s sound and vision.

While the powerhouses of the loose Native Tongue collective were undoubtedly De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and the Jungle Brothers, the wider family threw up some intriguing groups and unforgettable records.

Black Sheep – the duo of Dres and Mr Lawnge – were a natural fit for the Native Tongue vibe, displaying the same kind of wit and humour as their counterparts, with an off-kilter approach that helped them stand out.

While they only released one truly amazing album – their debut ‘A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’ was a standout in 1991, one of hip-hop’s best years for LP’s – it spawned five unique singles, with this the first one that really garnered any attention.

While it wasn’t a smash hit outside of hip-hop circles, it showcased their approach perfectly – sinuous rhymes, clever wordplay and a hint of flirtation. If the drums sound familiar, it’s because it’s the same Joe Farrell break – the intro to 1974’s ‘Upon This Rock’ – that Kanye West later used for ‘Gone’. Add in some horns from Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass and you’ve got a funky little earworm.

They return to the same Joe Farrell well for the flip, ‘Butt… In the Meantime’, because if the break isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Previously unavailable on 7”, this brace of 1991 sureshots is the perfect introduction to the idiosyncrasies of the Native Tongue era.

Der gebürtige Stuttgarter und international renommierte DJ und Produzent Danilo Plessow (Motor City Drum Ensemble) deckt auf seiner Fabric-Ausgabe mit seinem feinen Gespür für Soulfulness und perfekte Instrumentierung mehrere Jahrzehnte, Locations und Genres ab. Raritäten von den 70ern bis heute, die teils bis heute digital nicht erhältlich sind, schmücken das 28-Track-Mixset, von denen 11 Highlights als Full-Length-Tracks den Weg auf die Gatefold-2LP (samt Download-Code) fanden, darunter Plessows exklusiver Kollabo-Beitrag mit den beiden Jazz-Instrumentalisten Francesco Geminiani und Peter Schlamb, sowie Cabaret Voltaires "Taxi Mutant", das hier erstmals auf Vinyl erscheint.

For Jayda G, joy is a state of mind. Whether she transmits it through her upbeat productions or magnetic energy at the decks, the Canadian-born DJ and producer, real name Jayda Guy, is a beacon of empathy on the dancefloor. It's no surprise, then, that Jayda G's DJ-Kicks mix captures the buoyant spirit of the music that has influenced her most. "DJ-Kicks has been a personal goal of mine for a really long time. I've been a fan for decades now. I remember there was one mix by Chromeo and it had some French disco on it that always stood out in my mind," she remembers. Clocking in at just over an hour, Guy's mixtakes you on a journey that moves through loved classics and new bubblers. The mix contains Jayda's Brand new single "All I Need", the follow up to Grammy Nominated breakthrough single "Both Of Us", a slinky house tune co-produced with James Ford that fizzes with shimmering energy. A rallying cry for kinship and understanding, Guy's insouciant vocals insist "all I need is you to hear me", gliding across the perfectly swung house beat. "Because the mix was made during the pandemic, I thought, 'What music makes me happy?' I want people to feel like they know me. I wanted it to be approachable, still honouring the disco and soul music that I love. I hope that translates in some shape or form."

TRANSPARENT ORANGE VINYL

For Jayda G, joy is a state of mind. Whether she transmits it through her upbeat productions or magnetic energy at the decks, the Canadian-born DJ and producer, real name Jayda Guy, is a beacon of empathy on the dancefloor. It's no surprise, then, that Jayda G's DJ-Kicks mix captures the buoyant spirit of the music that has influenced her most. "DJ-Kicks has been a personal goal of mine for a really long time. I've been a fan for decades now. I remember there was one mix by Chromeo and it had some French disco on it that always stood out in my mind," she remembers. Clocking in at just over an hour, Guy's mixtakes you on a journey that moves through loved classics and new bubblers. The mix contains Jayda's Brand new single "All I Need", the follow up to Grammy Nominated breakthrough single "Both Of Us", a slinky house tune co-produced with James Ford that fizzes with shimmering energy. A rallying cry for kinship and understanding, Guy's insouciant vocals insist "all I need is you to hear me", gliding across the perfectly swung house beat. "Because the mix was made during the pandemic, I thought, 'What music makes me happy?' I want people to feel like they know me. I wanted it to be approachable, still honouring the disco and soul music that I love. I hope that translates in some shape or form."

Soft-spoken with the look of a slightly disaffected 1950s matinee idol, Aaron Frazer possesses a unique voice that's both contemporary and timeless. On Introducing... -- his debut solo album produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, co-released on Easy Eye Sound and Dead Oceans -- Aaron melds mid-`60s soul with Auerbach's particular sensibilities (`Over You'), songs with a message in the key of Gil Scott-Heron (`Bad News'), and uplifting tales of love told through a blend of disco, gospel, and doo-wop (`Have Mercy'). The Brooklyn-based, Baltimore-raised songwriter first came into the international spotlight as multi-instrumentalist and colead singer of Durand Jones & The Indications, but he's more than a revivalist act. "I didn't want Introducing... to be an exact recreation of an era or a style," Frazer says. "I'm excited to keep breaking some of the expectations around what exactly I'm supposed to be artistically and musically, or what this scene as a whole can be." On Introducing..., Aaron expertly calibrates consciousness-raising and the desire to be enveloped by love. Where previous records were written in a partial state of turmoil, Aaron's debut LP shows maturation and range. Introducing... is both loving and gracious, critical without losing hope, and a showcase of a young artist on a seriously soulful ascent.

Kalita are proud to announce the first ever official re-release of Mpharanyana & The Peddler's 1979 South African disco and funk recordings 'Disco' and 'Freak Out With Botsotso', backed by a devastating extended edit of 'Disco' courtesy of Amsterdam-based DJ and producer Jamie 3:26. Cut on a loud 12" single and accompanied by an extended edit of 'Disco' courtesy of Jamie 3:26, this truly is another no-brainer from the Kalita camp.

Born on 15th November 1949 in Kattlehong, South Africa, Jacob ‘Mpharanyana’ Radebe was one of South Africa’s greatest ever musicians, releasing a canon of legendary soul, jazz and disco albums before his untimely death in August 1979 at the age of just twenty-nine.

Here, Kalita select his highly sought-after disco and funk recordings ‘Disco’ and ‘Freak Out With Botsotso’, both selected from his 1979 invisible final album, ‘Hela Ngwanana’, re-releasing them for the first time in forty years. Including Paul Simon and Herbie Hancock session musician Bakithi Kumalo on bass and Themba Mokena of Dick Khoza ‘Chapita’ fame on lead guitar, the recordings feature some of the country’s top contemporary musicians joining forces to glorious effect.

With the original album currently fetching eye-watering prices on the rare occasion that they turn up for sale, the time is now ripe to share this masterpiece with the world once more.

An acid rock LP on the Isley Brothers’ T-Neck label? Yes, the unlikely collaboration resulted from a Jimi Hendrix concert at New York’s Syracuse University, supported by the Isleys and mixed soul-rock group, Soul Survivors, who had worked with Tom Bell and Gamble & Huff. When Soul Survivors morphed into Privilege, they convinced the Isleys to sign them to T-Neck, the result being this rare self-titled album, a fine set of hard-rocking originals, expertly produced by the Isleys with plenty of stereo panning, blistering guitar from frontman Edward Leonetti, atmospheric organ from Paul Venturini and melodic bass lines from Jack Douglas, later an engineer for Aerosmith, Lou Reed and Cheap Trick. A true classic, not to be missed!

Dan Penn has southern soul running through his veins. Penn started out in the early sixties as band leader of various soul combos in Alabama, but he remained out of the limelight for most of his career, instead choosing to write hit songs for other artists. He has been responsible for songs including “Is A Bluebird Blue” by Conway Twitty, “Do Right Woman Do Right Man” by Aretha Franklin, “The Letter” by The Box Tops, “I’m Your Puppet” by Bobby & James Purify, “You Left The Water Running” by Wilson Picket and Otis Redding and many more.

In 1994 Dan finally picked up the guitar and recorded these songs himself for the first time and to great effect: his renditions of “I’m Your Puppet” and “You Left The Water Running” add fragile and beautiful magic to these already great songs.

This incredible collection of songs is available as a limited edition of
1000 individually numbered copies on gold coloured vinyl

‘Sharecropper’s Son’ is a soulful masterpiece and career-defining album
from Robert Finley, “the greatest living soul singer”, written by Finley and
co-written and produced by Dan Auerbach.
With songwriting by Finley, Auerbach, Bobby Wood, and contributions from respected country songwriter Pat McLaughlin, ‘Sharecropper’s Son’ also features
an all-star band, who have worked with everyone from Elvis to Wilson Pickett,
including guitar expertise from Auerbach himself.
Recorded at Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville, Finley’s formidable vocals and
lyrical stylings take centre stage, sharing personal stories inspired by his Louisiana country childhood during the Jim Crow era south. His tales of pain and joy
uplift as Finley reflects on his belief that you are never too young to dream and
never too old to live.
The fire behind the conflagrant performances on ‘Sharecropper’s Son’ is ignited by 67 year old Finley, who has cited a range of vocal influences, including
Al Green, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles, Elvis, James Brown and The Beatles, all
inspiring his genre diverse approach. Finley stated, “I want people to understand that I can’t be kept in a box. I like to do all kinds of music - everything that
means anything to me, from gospel to blues to soul to country to rock ‘n’ roll.”
“A blind carpenter and army vet is revealed, belatedly, to be a herculean soulman.” – UNCUT

“Behind The Mask” was originally to be the second Incognito album. Still floating on the high of the success of their debut album “Jazz Funk”, Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick started work on new material recruiting friends and strangers from London’s buzzing music scene. Where “Jazz Funk” in 1981 had by name and nature been achieved from the influence of Jazz Funk and Soul music that we had been listening to in the 70’s, “Behind The Mask” from has a strong leaning towards the harder Fusion trend of that time. Innocence and earthy tones were replaced by a bright and bold flurry of cascading arpeggios and screaming solos. Brass arrangements that had been created by singing a man a line were now leaping out of reams of paper scored by the wizard that is Richard Niles. However, still present and leading the charge was the unmistakable, funky, pulsating and irresistible bass lines of the late Paul “Tubbs” Williams.

6 tracks of dark sounds industrial EBM with touches of Electro by the Artist Rise Black with Roots of URRS where the project is inspired by the world war

Classic funk / soul LP from 1977 repressed by Unidisc, Canada for 2021.

Raised in Corsica, Stephanie made a name for herself as a dj in Paris but more recently focused on producing her own sound. The roots of her musical style are deeply entrenched in Pop, House and Ambient music, all genres that to her reflect our human desire to express our feelings. Her heartfelt debut, AUTEL, released on new label Lake Of Confidence, is an invitation to be fully present in the moment and listen to ourselves with awareness. The track "Disarm" is an uplifting tonic for the soul and could not have come at a more fitting time, encouraging the letting go of fear. Stephanie's grounded voice and the tender tones of the music take us on a liberating journey and reminds us of what is important in life - to move beyond ourselves and embrace joy. The captivating "Unchain" and the Superpitcher remix of the track, are both powerful guides for deep contemplation. Each beat is a metaphor of the breath of life, space and the impressive vastness of this extraordinary mystery we live in.